Ultra high definition marks dawning of 'new age' for TV

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has recommended a new standard for 'Ultra High Definition Television' (UHDTV), heralding what it claims is an "earth-shaking development" for television viewing.

Last week, the global regulatory body announced the new standard, developed in collaboration with experts from the TV industry, broadcasters and regulatory institutions in its Study Group 6.

Following the shift from standard to high definition TV, the next evolution in picture technology is thought by many to be UHDTV, capable of delivering a picture up to 16 times sharper than normal HD.

The ITU has recommended a new UHDTV standard that sets the first level of pictures at the so-called '4K', with the equivalent of 8 megapixels and a pixel resolution of 3840 x 2160.

The next level would be '8K', delivering the equivalent of about 32 megapixels at a screen resolution of 7680 x 4320. Despite the massive difference in signal quality, the ITU has decided to include both levels in the new standard.

In a statement, the ITU said that its new UHDTV standard has now been submitted to administrations for approval.

Alongside being significantly sharper than HD (which has the equivalent of 1 to 2 megapixels), "[UHDTV picture quality] is accompanied by improved color fidelity, and options for higher numbers of pictures per second than for today's television systems," said the ITU.

ITU secretary-general Hamadoun Touré praised the work of ITU-R Study Group 6, and described UHDTV as an "earth-shaking development in the world of television".

"Watching UHDTV in the near future will be a breathtaking experience, and I look forward to it," Dr Touré said.

David Wood, the chairman of ITU-R Working Party 6C, declared: "This is the dawn of a new age for television that will bring unprecedented levels of realism and viewer enjoyment. It's a historic moment.

"Some years will pass before we see these systems in our homes, but come they will. The die is now cast, thanks to the untiring efforts of the international experts participating in WP6C."

François Rancy, the director of ITU's Radiocommunication Bureau, said: "I've personally seen the pictures with 8K UHDTV system, and it's absolutely stunning - the sense of being there is superb. This agreement shows the great and continuing strength of the ITU-R and Study Group 6."

The BBC has said that ultra high definition could be a "better long-term prospect" than 3D, but this would depend on bringing down the currently-massive cost of producing sets that can handle the signal, along with the heavy bandwidth requirements of the broadcasts.

Japanese broadcaster NHK, which will run the Super Hi-Vision trials at the Olympics with the BBC, expects to offer Super Hi-Vision to homes in Japan by 2022.